Weapons in GTA 1: appearance, range and practical use

Each category has its own detailed view and practical description. The illustrations reflect the period without reproducing original game models or textures.

Weapons, appearance and use

Every entry has its own detailed view

Baseball bat

An immediate melee option that uses no ammunition, but has correspondingly limited reach.

Range: medium
Risk: normal

Pistol

Accurate basic equipment for short to medium range.

Range: medium
Risk: normal

Submachine gun

A high rate of fire that quickly consumes the ammunition supply.

Range: short
Risk: normal

Shotgun

Powerful at close range, but considerably weaker over distance.

Range: medium
Risk: normal

Assault rifle

Suitable for controlling medium distances and groups of enemies.

Range: long
Risk: normal

Flamethrower

Specialised equipment with considerable effect, but limited versatility and a high risk to the user.

Range: short
Risk: high

Rocket launcher

Destroys vehicles and strikes groups, but requires a safe distance.

Range: medium
Risk: very high

Grenade

An explosive weapon for areas and cover; a poor judgement also endangers the player.

Range: medium
Risk: very high

The illustrations were created by GTA HUB and are based only on the period, category and function. They are neither game sprites nor copies of the original models.

How weapons work in GTA 1

The first GTA has only four weapons: a pistol, submachine gun, rocket launcher and flamethrower. You do not buy them — they lie around the city as crates for you to collect, and you lose your equipment if you die or are arrested.

The top-down view changes how weapons play. You see only a section of the street around you, so range and spread matter more than accuracy: the rocket launcher deals with a line of cars, the flamethrower with a crowd of pedestrians, and the pistol is enough when there is only one target.

Weapons are also tied to the scoring system. Destroying cars and collecting score multipliers are among the main ways to earn the points that unlock the next chapter.